I think this is a very tough call. I realize Brady is 1-2 years younger, but the premise is about the same. This years team without Brady might have won 5 games?

I tend to think I would auction off the pick for more picks, taking some solid defensive players and hoping to get back to the playoffs and SB that way. Not like Andrew Luck will be taking them to the SB anytime soon. Getting more quality players is better than one stud...

Pats have better depth at QB so they are not in the same situation.But if I were the colts I drop Mannig and his price tag via a trade. Therefore, i would drop Brady as well. also considering it would be neck injury and as well his reconstructed kneee from acl/mcl surgery.

I'd wait till you cut him cause the 28M roster bonus. Think of it this way. If the Colts are going to cut him why wouldnt you cut him? Remember you have to pick up that contract and that big juicy roster bonus. If I was the Pats and I did trade him I would also trade the Luck pick. I'd trade something for Hoier or Mallet and with all the picks I get infuse as much youth on to the team as possible. Then Play Belichick with the picks I dont use and wheel and deal every year to multiple picks every year. I dont know if I'd go with Tressel being the HC, *this is my speculation* but Irsay will do what he wants.

No. Remember Ryan Leaf. And Tim Couch. And and and and and. Real performance versus theoretical. Newton is the only #1 pick I have seen at QB who didn't fail to live up to the hype. Not that I'm against trading Brady, just that I'm against trading him for a gamble. Rather develop a guy (Mallet?) THEN trade Brady. Clots deserve it if they get Luck and he is bad.

If it were this year, I'd say no, you don't trade Brady. I think he easily has 3-4 more productive years.If it's 2-3 years from now, I think Brady makes that decision to walk away, himself.He has nothing else to prove (although another SB would be nice), unlike Pay me a ton, who will always be chasing Brady's SB wins.

Manning does have a huge health issue with that neck. He may feel great when it comes to passing etc, but, what happens when he is hit and it is in the neck area? You don't want to test that in camp, do you? With that said, Manning has more question marks as to his prodcutive value to the Colts going forward than Brady. Give Brady the weapons and his value is HUGE and he is better than he has ever been. What is happening now is the Pats D is in shambles and everyone is expecting miracles from Brady to overcome this issue. Beside, all this talk about trading Brady is nothing but knee jerk fan talk from some to get a rise out of this board. I do not believe the word "trade" has ever graced the lips of BB, Kraft or any member of the Patriots management. Brady will retire a Patriot and I do not think he will pull a "Favre" either!

I'd auction the pick to the highest bidder and get an even bigger haul than Cleveland got last year for the Julio Jones pick. Like maybe two 1s, two 2s and a 3. Cripes Cincy got two 1s for washed up Carson Palmer, Luck might get three 1s.

It all depends on what's gotten in return. If you think Mallet's going to be the guy, then you trade the pick and groom him for a few years. If you think Luck's that much better then you take him and trade Mallet and Hoyer. I probably wouldn't trade Brady until it's certain that Luck is going to be amazing...and that still all depends on the return for Brady.

IMHO, lot's of heresy being spoken here about Brady. Some of you, if you were a GM, would be so cold hearted from a business perspecitve in which loyalty is out the door, you'd make Scrooge look like a saint.

IMHO, lot's of heresy being spoken here about Brady. Some of you, if you were a GM, would be so cold hearted from a business perspecitve in which loyalty is out the door, you'd make Scrooge look like a saint.Posted by agcsbill

I think the premise of the thread was what if Brady had the same condition that Manning has, i.e., a neck ailment that you're not sure he can come back from and you have the number one pick. Not sure anybody is looking to trade Brady, I'm certainly not. But you have to decide what to do with that asset (the number one pick) and how to deal with Brady, not an easy thing.

By the way, the Colts can't trade Manning until next March at the earliest, and then only if he allows them to. The 2012 league year doesn't start until after his option must be exercised, so they must pay him his $34 mil (or whatever it is, but in that ballpark) in order to retain his rights and then trade him. That only changes if he agrees to renegotiate.

I would trade the pick and keep Brady. Use one of the picks I obtain in trade for a QB, or roll with Mallett/Hoyer and in either case, hope Brady can still play.

I think this is a very tough call. I realize Brady is 1-2 years younger, but the premise is about the same. This years team without Brady might have won 5 games? I tend to think I would auction off the pick for more picks, taking some solid defensive players and hoping to get back to the playoffs and SB that way. Not like Andrew Luck will be taking them to the SB anytime soon. Getting more quality players is better than one stud... Thoughts?Posted by mcboyd22

No I would not trade Brady. Pats are in a better position than the colts, we have depth at QB. Brady came back from his leg and has proven to have some life in him (sarcasm)

The question with Manning is "can" he play again. I believe he is done. I believe that with his injury, he should not play again. If he does his mobility will be limited from what it was and if he takes a hit, it could be very bad for him long term.

If Tom were in the same position I would not want him to play for his own sake. but I would not trade him, he has earned the right to make the call

We don't know what the Patriots think about Mallet / Hoyer. For the sake of argument if they thought Mallet / Hoyer is not the future and Brady had a signifigant injury that was a total dice roll on his future I would draft Luck and move Brady considering his age. If they are high on Mallet / Hoyer you trade the pick for mulitple #1's. All draft picks are risk reward and I would certainly swap potential franchise QB for a decade if the other option is a dice roll of health maxing out at 2-3 really good years.

We don't know what the Patriots think about Mallet / Hoyer. For the sake of argument if they thought Mallet / Hoyer is not the future and Brady had a signifigant injury that was a total dice roll on his future I would draft Luck and move Brady considering his age. If they are high on Mallet / Hoyer you trade the pick for mulitple #1's.Posted by tompenny

I trade it either way and grab my QB of the future with one of the picks I get in trade.

You're not going to get a lot of players or picks either way. Look at 2002: remember how everyone thought the Pats would get two players and two picks for Bledsoe? They wound up getting two picks I believe, and did either turn into anything?Posted by Patsfansince1966

For an injured QB, you'd be lucky to get a second rounder. I don't care what his name is. But for the rights to Luck, you'd get a king's ransom. That's why I keep the player, trade the pick.

If it were the exact same situation, meaning Brady being the same age as Peyton, yes, I would trade him. If it were a torn ACL, I would not, since coming back from an ACL tear is quite common these days. But three operations on neck vertebrae is charting unknown territory. I would usher in the youth movement (be it Mallet or Luck) and hope to score a boatload of picks...assuming the market for a thrice-injured Brady was still robust.

In Response to Re: If Pats were in Colts position, would you trade Brady? : Didn't see Hoyer get much playing time, and mallet got redshirted all year. I don't see either of these guys as the future at QB.Posted by kansaspatriot

Why would Hoyer or Mallet ever get much playing time barring a catastrophe? I'm not sure how you can used that as any indicator of how the Patriots feel about them.

In Response to Re: If Pats were in Colts position, would you trade Brady? : I think the premise of the thread was what if Brady had the same condition that Manning has, i.e., a neck ailment that you're not sure he can come back from and you have the number one pick. Not sure anybody is looking to trade Brady, I'm certainly not. But you have to decide what to do with that asset (the number one pick) and how to deal with Brady, not an easy thing. By the way, the Colts can't trade Manning until next March at the earliest, and then only if he allows them to. The 2012 league year doesn't start until after his option must be exercised, so they must pay him his $34 mil (or whatever it is, but in that ballpark) in order to retain his rights and then trade him. That only changes if he agrees to renegotiate. I would trade the pick and keep Brady. Use one of the picks I obtain in trade for a QB, or roll with Mallett/Hoyer and in either case, hope Brady can still play.Posted by Muzwell

If the OP had made that clear in the original post, many here would agree if Brady's WAS NOT healthy and he is right now. We are talking about a QB ONE YEAR removed from a unanimous MVP year and folks are thinking he could be trade bait already? How about we see some very obvious decline in play before the subject is even broached!

being that we have great back ups and brady is a few years younger, i would auction off the pick and see if we could get a bunch of picks and a defensive pass rushing stud, maybe the 49ers are tired of messing with alex smith and harbaugh wants luck, would he give up patrick willis and/or a 2nd? for a chance at becoming a complete team with an actual QB. maybe St. louis is tired of the big bradford contract and would give up steven jackson and a 2nd for andrew luck that pick is worth a great deal after all of the hype luck is recieving i would trade it and develop one of our QB's, especially if we can get defensive stud for him.Posted by natesubs

I am glad you are not a GM right now! Brady is still playing at a #1 QB in the league level and you want to shop him around, for what? So the team can rebuild around a new QB now? There are many quality years left in Brady and the offense right now, how about building the D first!!